After al-Ḥusayn’s death many of the nobles of Quraysh asked for her hand, but she declared, “I will never take another father-in-law after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and, by Allah, no roof shall ever shelter me with a man after al-Ḥusayn.” Grief continued to consume her until she died. It is also said that she lived only a few days after him—Allah knows best. [Her daughter Sukaynah bint al-Ḥusayn was one of the most beautiful women; indeed, none of her time surpassed her in beauty—Allah knows best] (1).

Abu Mikhnaf related, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Jundub, that after the killing of al-Ḥusayn, Ibn Ziyād inspected the notables of Kūfah and did not find ʿUbayd Allah ibn al-Hurr ibn Yazīd among them. He therefore searched for him until, several days later, Ibn al-Hurr came before him.

Ibn Ziyād asked, “Where have you been, Ibn al-Hurr?”
He replied, “I was ill.”
Ibn Ziyād said, “Was it an illness of the heart, or of the body?”
He answered, “My heart has never been ill, and my body—Allah has restored it to health.”
Ibn Ziyād retorted, “You lie; you were with our enemy.”
He replied, “Had I been with your enemy, a man like me could hardly remain hidden, and the people would have seen it.”

Abu Mikhnaf continues: Ibn Ziyād became distracted for a moment (2), whereupon Ibn al-Hurr slipped away, mounted his horse, and said, “Tell him that, by Allah, I shall never come to him of my own accord.”

Ibn Ziyād demanded, “Where is Ibn al-Hurr?”
They said, “He has gone out.”
He responded, “Bring him to me.” The guards pursued him, but he hurled at them harsh words they detested, prayed for Allah’s good pleasure upon al-Ḥusayn, his brother, and his father, and then leveled biting speech at Ibn Ziyād (3). Keeping beyond their reach, he recited poetry about al-Ḥusayn and his companions:

A ruler speaks—treacherous, truly treacherous—
“Why did you not fight the martyr, the son of Fāṭimah?”
[My soul reproaches me for leaving him, for holding aloof from him,
for pledging allegiance to this breaker of vows.] (4)

Oh, my regret that I did not come to his aid;
every soul that misses the path will one day regret it. (5)

May Allah water the spirits of those who stood shoulder to shoulder for his sake
with an unceasing downpour from the clouds.

I stood by their graves and the ground where they fell;
my very insides were about to break and my eyes overflowed with tears.

By my life, in the heat of battle they were indomitable warriors,
swift to the fray, stalwart guardians, fearsome as dark torrents.

They vied with one another to champion the grandson of their Prophet—
swords in hand, like the lions of the thicket, fierce and unyielding.

If you slay such noble souls under a cloak of piety,
the very earth has grown desolate because of it.